Blind
by likeacrossword
Summary: She wasn't stupid. She knew what was happening, she just hadn't realised soon enough. It was an endless game of tug of war and she was the rope.
1. She Knew

**Title: **Blind

**Pairing: **Elijah & Caroline

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She wasn't stupid. She knew what was happening, she just hadn't realised soon enough.

It was an endless game of _tug of war _and she was the rope. She remembered judging Elena for her stringing along of the Salvatores. Not wanting to choose a brother. Coming between the two of them even though she'd had no plans of being a vampire. Now she understood. Now she knew how harsh she'd been to judge. How blind.

She knew how she had gotten caught up in Klaus' web. He was always lurking in the background. Saving her from the immediate dangers lurking in Mystic Falls. He gave her the one thing she'd craved her entire human existence; attention. He showered her with gifts she'd merely scoff at and shove in a drawer or the back of her closet. But slowly he'd worn her down. The one thing he had shown patience with was his pursuit of her.

It was through Klaus that she'd developed a bond with Elijah. She'd gone to return Klaus' latest attempt at wooing her and ran into him instead. He was calm and gentle. The complete opposite of his brother. She knew from Elena that the eldest Original would never try to hurt her. Whenever she would come over and Klaus wasn't around they would sit for hours and talk about the past. Ever since becoming a vampire, learning about history fascinated her. His age made him the perfect companion. She was enthralled listening to him and was curious as to how he coped with advancements in technology and society. Sometimes they'd end up spending the entire day together much to the annoyance of the others. She'd always wondered why he put up with her, she was a baby vamp, blonde, bubbly and never stayed quiet. She'd been under the impression that he was just lonely. Being alive for over a thousand years wouldn't leave you with many friends. And having people constantly daggering you couldn't help. It was then that she finally figured out the real reason. It was the same as hers for him.

_They kept each other sane. _

Then it changed. Everything shifted. She didn't know when or how it happened. One morning she was lying on the carpeted floor playing with the fibres and waiting for him to arrive for their daily chat. She felt a sudden change in the air and her eyes shot up to see him standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame with smiling eyes. She returned the greeting, her eyes crinkling as she smiled. He joined her on the ground. For the first time during their friendship she was suddenly aware of how close he was sitting to her. She studied his features. The way his lips twitched up at the sides when he was recalling a fond memory. The brief darkness that appeared in his eyes when he spoke of his old life as a human.

_She knew all about Tatia. _

He had found her sobbing uncontrollably in the woods near their home one night. He could barely make out a word and had brought her back to her house. Once he'd managed to get her to calm down she told him about her break up with Tyler. And after a failed attempt to cheer her up he did the only thing he could think of; he told he a story from his past. He confessed to her his love for the girl, how her blood had been used in the turning of his entire family and his constant feeling of guilt. He told her truthfully of his weakness for the doppelgangers. How their similarity to her caused him to dwell on the past and his mistakes. He kept Klaus' love for the girl a secret from her however, she'd had enough of an inferiority complex and was in pain. He held her tight as she drifted off to sleep in his arms, her breath finally slowing and her body no longer shaking from the silent sobs. He realised his mistake in getting too close to her as he pushed a blonde lock away from her face. He had been insistent that he wouldn't make the same mistakes with the doppelganger. But he would've never considered the idea that her cheerleader friend posed the real threat.

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**A/N: Let me know what you think. **


	2. She Saw

**A/N: Because you guys wanted it I've done a short second chapter. I'm thinking of doing short connecting chapters from the other characters view on Caroline and Elijah's growing friendship. Would you guys be interested in that?**

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He had first become acquainted with the sheriff back when he had been posing as Elijah Smith, an out of town historian doing research on the town. She was less than thrilled to discover what he really was and that her daughter had befriended him. When he first arrived at the house she thought it was for professional reasons, the idea of him being there to spend time with Caroline was laughable. She was about to greet him when the girl came running down the stairs, a huge smile appearing at the sight of him. She noticed that he returned it with one of his own. She introduced him, and laughed nervously when he explained that they had already met.

It was a few weeks later when Caroline admitted that her new friend wasn't exactly human. He had stood on the porch waiting for her like he had previously done. She was just about to leave the house when she turned on her heel and called her mother who had been preparing the dinner. It was her one day off that week and Caroline had planned on spending the night in after her afternoon with Elijah. She instead asked her mother if he could stay for dinner when they returned. The older woman hesitantly agreed, knowing they would just end up fighting for an entire week if she said no.

That night she explained to her mother that she would have to invite him in. She saw the pleading look on her daughters face and allowed him in. Caroline promised to explain everything. She told her about how they met. Klaus. She decided not to tell her about the hybrid's fondness for her. Her mother could only take so much in one night. She let him explain his identity himself.

The last time she saw her daughter so content and relaxed was with Tyler. She had noticed how her daughter had failed to mention him in quite some time but didn't want to bring it up. She was afraid of seeing her so broken again.

Two nights later he came through the front door holding Caroline up beside him. She saw the solemn look on his face and motioned him to the direction of her daughter's bedroom. He held her carefully, as if she was fragile. He was afraid to let go in case she fell to pieces. She could hear her crying through the walls. The slow sobbing the only sound in the house. After an hour it slowed before eventually stopping. She could barely make out the hushed tones coming from the room. A few murmurs now and then. It was just past midnight, unable to sleep she opened the door slightly. She didn't know what to expect. Caroline was curled up in bed asleep on the duvet with a blanket covering her sleeping form. Her head on his chest, his eyes closed.

She was still suspicious of their relationship but reminded herself to thank him in the morning. He was a rock. Her daughter needed it.

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**A/N: Hope it didn't disappoint too much. As always review and let me know :)**


	3. He Realised

**A/N: This seems to be the only fic that I'm able to update regularly. Probably because it's short, so you guys are lucky. **

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He knows that look. He's seen it before. Directed at Elena. Stefan knew that the Original was fond of Katherine back when they'd met but still found his thing for Elena creepy. He would later find out from Caroline that when he and Klaus had told him about their love for the same girl that they had left out a small detail. Her bloodline. Then it all made sense. What he was seeing now on the other hand didn't. He knew it wasn't a stretch. Once he got to know the blonde he realised she was much more than a shallow neurotic control freak. She was loveable and charming. He just would have never imagined the two together. He could see her changing in front of him, she was growing. He didn't know if it was because of Elijah but either way he couldn't help but smile.

When she told him all about Elijah's first love, after whispering to him that it was a secret and making him pinky promise not to tell anyone, he noticed just how different she had become. As she told him how his affections were once for a girl who looked just like one of her best friends she never showed a hint of anger or jealousy. Just sadness for his loss. She did admit to him that the detail about Tatia being the beginning of the doppelgangers came a while after discovering Elijah's feelings for her. She told him she had been in a bad state the night he told her and didn't want to upset her more. She smiled at that. She kind of liked that her thought she was so breakable still. It just made him more mesmerized when she would win in a fight between the two of them. He had started to teach her some self defence at her insistence. She made him swear that he wouldn't tell the others about their friendship. She either missed or ignored the look he shot her when she referred to it as that. He was the only one who knew. Although she had caught her mom looking at her weirdly lately but that could've been anything.

He found her in their basement searching frantically for blood bags. When he finally got her to stop moving he took in her dishevelled appearance. Hair tied up messily. Eyes puffy and red. He held her tightly to him as she cried silently into his shoulder. Her inaudible whisper of her break up with Tyler clued him in. They stood in that spot for nearly an hour just holding each other. It was another two hours before she spoke. She came into his room where he was lying on his bed reading. She curled up next to him. She told him it wasn't because of Elijah. It was Klaus. He had no idea how extensive his obsession with her had become. Damon had told him about the dress but she failed to mention about the rest. They had used her as bait and distraction. She should've told them no. It had gotten complicated. They were playing a game and she was losing.

She told him that she could only remember pieces of the night before. Her brain's attempt to block out the pain. Elijah had found her. She was in the woods crying. She woke up in her bed the next morning, her mom by her side.

She left Stefan's bed, and the boarding house, sometime during the night, whispering goodbye to him and placing a kiss on his cheek. She was expecting a much harsher warning. He simply told her to be careful.

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**A/N: Thoughts? **


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